Systems, methods and computer program products for facilitating the sale of commodity-like goods/services

ABSTRACT

The invention provides systems and methods for facilitating the sale of commodity-like goods/services. The commodity-like goods/services at which the invention is directed, are of a type that are relatively indistinguishable from one brand, identity and/or outlet to another in end-use functionality and features. These types of goods/services are many times sold at retail under various brands or identities at multiple locations, to the final end user. Such goods/services may also or separately be of a type that are repeatedly purchased at intervals, and/or for which the price varies between purchases, from outlet to outlet or brand to brand. The goods/services may also be of a character such that they are not deliverable to the consumer, but require the consumer to travel to the retailer outlet. The system and methods also provide information relating to the consumers and competitors of a retailer of such goods/services. The invention establishes methods and procedures to define, organize, collect, distribute, and maintain information that can be used by the owner of a business selling commodity-like goods/services as well as by its customers. This information may include, but is not limited to, name brand of the product, location of the retailer, price of the product, other related goods/services available and their prices, and promotions. These processes may be performed and implemented on a computer network that is accessible in real time via a suitable communication device, such as a computer, wireless communication device, telephone or the like. A database of such information is created, allowing the consumer and other retailers to query the database using various search criteria. The consumer has the opportunity to obtain information about retailers of commodity-like goods/services that meet the consumer&#39;s requirements, and pricing may be guaranteed by the retailer.

This application is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No.09/630,514, filed Aug. 2, 2000, the disclosure of which is herebyincorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods forfacilitating the sale of retail goods and/or services that are noteasily or readily delivered to the consumer, or where the prices of suchgoods and/or services are not readily determined except at the retailoutlet, such as vehicle fuels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various retail goods/services cannot be purchased/performed other thanat the outlet of the retailer of such goods/services. Goods such asgasoline, diesel fuel, propane and a variety of other fuels, as well asservices including vehicle repair or servicing, laundry and dry cleaningservices, food service and the like, must generally be physicallyacquired at the retail outlet.

As with most items for sale, consumers of retail goods/services that aregenerally not deliverable to the consumer are interested in finding themat convenient and/or nearby locations, and/or finding them whiletraveling for other reasons, such as work, recreation, and/or othershopping. Unfortunately, the consumer presently has only limited ways todetermine if a particular retailer of such goods/services has additionalgoods/services that may be of interest. For example, vehicle fuel orlike retailers often have convenience store items available at theiroutlet, or provide vehicle repair or servicing, but the consumer maygenerally be unaware of these other goods/services unless/until theyactually visit the outlet. In addition, vehicle fuel or like retailershave other features that are of interest to consumers, such as hours ofoperation, acceptance of credit cards, and automated teller machines(ATMs). From the point of view of both consumers and retailers, it wouldbe worthwhile to provide consumers with information relating to thearray of goods/services provided by the retailer without the consumerhaving to visit the outlet.

Additionally, retail consumers of goods/services that are subject tofrequent, volatile, and/or asynchronous (meaning non-uniform over timeor without a consistent pattern between various retailers) pricefluctuations, are interested in finding the most attractive price forsuch goods/services. For example, a vehicle owner typically purchasesfuel about 1.2 times per week, and the price of the fuel may vary withinthis period. The most attractive price is not necessarily the lowestprice, but it is that price which the consumer judges to be best interms of a variety of factors, including those such as quality,convenience, and other subjective factors. Unfortunately, in the case ofthese types of goods/services, the consumer often has to drive around toassess the prices of competing retailers in order to determine whichretailer has the most attractive price. As a result, much time, vehicleoperating expense, and effort can be expended in trying to determine themost attractive price. Further, because of the frequent, volatile,and/or asynchronous price fluctuations of such goods/services, consumersfind that prices can change between the time that they are observed andthe time that the purchase is consummated. From the point of view ofboth consumers and retailers, it would be worthwhile to have the abilityto provide consumers with information relating to the pricing of thegoods/services without the consumer having to visit the outlet, and toassure that the price information communicated to consumers was honoredby the outlet, for at least a specified period of time.

Further, retailers attempt to attract customers through costlyadvertising on television, radio, or in print, but again limitationsexist as to what information can be conveyed to the consumer. In somecases, the prices of these goods/services are so volatile that it isimpractical to advertise them other than at the outlet where they arepurchased. A retailer must also promote and advertise its othersecondary goods/services such as convenience store items or vehiclerepair, which are often purchased in tandem with a product such asvehicle fuel. It would be worthwhile to retailers to have other media,and/or lowest cost media, for communicating with consumers.

However, advertising is a passive form of communication and it does notallow the retailer of these commodity-like goods or services to compilecurrent, actual demographic data of its customers. Without this data, aretailer can only infer what the needs of his consumers are. As aresult, the retailer may offer goods/services that do not precisely meetthe needs of the consumer, or the retailer may miss out on revenueopportunities by not providing the goods/services that consumers areinterested in purchasing. It would be worthwhile to retailers to be ableto collect better information about the interests of their consumers.

It is also difficult for retailers, relative to their competition, toassess pricing and other variables for these types of goods/services.Retailers of these types of goods/services incur additional expenses,such as the labor and vehicle expense associated with driving around, inorder to ascertain the current prices of such goods/services sold bytheir competitors. This is particularly true when the price of suchgoods/services may be subject to rapid, volatile, and asynchronous pricefluctuations in the marketplace. Further, retailers are sometimeslimited in collecting this information because of work schedules,distances between competitors, traffic, and other factors. It would beworthwhile to retailers to reduce the expenses associated with gatheringinformation about the current prices of such goods/services sold bytheir competitors, and/or to be able to collect such information morefrequently and/or more easily.

It would thus be of great value to provide systems and methods whichbetter allow the consumers and retailers of such goods/services tocommunicate and acquire information relating to such goods/serviceswithout having to travel to the retail outlet(s).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Based upon the foregoing deficiencies in the prior art, it is an objectof the present invention to provide systems and methods for facilitatingthe sale of commodity-like goods/services. The commodity-likegoods/services at which the invention is directed, are of a type thatare relatively indistinguishable from one brand, identity and/or outletto another in end-use functionality and features. These types ofgoods/services are many times sold at retail under various brands oridentities at multiple locations, to the final end user. Suchgoods/services may also or separately be of a type that are repeatedlypurchased at intervals, and/or for which the price varies betweenpurchases, from outlet to outlet or brand to brand. The goods/servicesmay also be of a character such that they are not deliverable to theconsumer, but require the consumer to travel to the retailer outlet.

It is also an object of the invention to provide systems and methods forfacilitating the sale of goods/services which are subject to rapid,volatile, and/or asynchronous price fluctuations.

The present invention is also directed to providing information relatingto the consumers and competitors of a retailer of such goods/services.

The present invention establishes methods and procedures to define,organize, collect, distribute, and maintain information that can be usedby the owner of a business selling commodity-like goods/services as wellas by its customers. This information may include, but is not limitedto, name brand of the product, location of the retailer, price of theproduct, other related goods/services available and their prices, andpromotions. These processes may be performed and implemented on acomputer network that is accessible in real time via a suitablecommunication device, such as a computer, wireless communication device,telephone or the like. The invention is directed to creating a databaseof such information, and allowing the consumer and other retailers toquery the database using various search criteria. The consumer has theopportunity to obtain information about retailers of commodity-likegoods/services that meet the consumer's requirements. The consumer thenhas the opportunity to evaluate which retailer to purchase items from.The pricing information the consumer is presented with for suchgoods/services may be guaranteed by the retailer. Other retailers havethe opportunity to obtain information about retailers of commodity-likegoods/services with whom they compete. They then have the opportunity toevaluate the scope of goods/services that the other retailers offer,their prices, and other terms and conditions.

Based upon the foregoing, in one aspect of the invention, there isprovided a system for acquiring and disseminating information related togoods/services comprising a user interface having at least one inputdevice to enable a user to input predetermined information relating topredetermined goods or services. The predetermined goods/services mayhave pricing which is subject to substantial variations, or are notdeliverable to a consumer. There is also provided a method forgenerating a database relating to goods/services sold via retailoutlets, comprising the steps of prompting a user to input informationrelated to a retail outlet selected from the group of vehicle fueloutlets, vehicle servicing outlets, convenience food stores andcombinations thereof. The input information is selected from the groupconsisting of location of the retail outlet, brand information, priceinformation, goods sold, services offered, special promotions on goodsor services, price guarantees on goods or services or combinationsthereof.

Additionally, a method of providing a guaranteed price in the sale ofgoods/services is set forth. Firstly, the consumer is provided withpredetermined information relating to at least the price ofgoods/services presently being offered. The consumer is also providedwith a predetermined guarantee related to at least the price ofgoods/services, for some pre-authorized period of time, which guaranteecan be authenticated and redeemed at the outlet where saidgoods/services are offered for sale. Other methods and a computerprogram product are also set forth.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other aspects, advantages and attributes of the invention will becomeapparent upon a reading of the description of embodiments thereof alongwith the figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of the presentinvention, implemented via a site on a global information system, i.e. awebsite on the World Wide Web.

FIGS. 2-9 show pages associated with a site on a global informationsystem such as shown in FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 10 shows a block diagram of an Interactive Voice Response (IVR)subsystem according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 11-15 show further pages associated with a site on a globalinformation system according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 16 shows a block diagram of a further embodiment according to theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is fully described hereinafter with reference tothe drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown.The invention may also be embodied in many different forms and shouldnot be construed as limited to only the disclosed embodiments. Theprovided embodiments are included so the disclosure will be thorough,complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to persons ofordinary skill in the art.

A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that the presentinvention may be embodied as a method, data processing or acquisitionsystem, or computer program product. As such, the present invention maytake the form of an embodiment comprised entirely of hardware; anembodiment comprised entirely of software or an embodiment combiningsoftware and hardware aspects. In addition, the present invention maytake the form of a computer program product on a computer-readablestorage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied inthe medium. Any suitable computer readable medium may be utilizedincluding hard disks, CD-ROMs, optical storage devices, or magneticstorage devices.

The present invention is described with reference to flowcharts and/ordiagrams that illustrate methods, apparatus or systems and computerprogram product. It should be understood that each block of the variousflowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the flowcharts, can beimplemented by computer program instructions. Such computer programinstructions can be loaded onto a general-purpose computer, specialpurpose computer, or other programmable data processing device toproduce a machine, such that the instructions that execute on thecomputer or other programmable data processing apparatus create meansfor implementing the functions specified in the flowcharts. The computerprogram instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable memorythat directs a computer or other programmable data processing device tofunction in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored inthe computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture includinginstruction means which implement the function specified in theflowcharts or diagrams. The computer program instructions may also beloaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatusto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computeror other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implementedprocess such that the instructions which execute on the computer orother programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing thefunctions specified in the flowcharts or diagrams.

It will be understood that blocks of the flowcharts support combinationsof systems for performing the specified functions, combinations of stepsfor performing the specified functions and program instructions forperforming the specified functions. It is also to be understood thateach block of the flowcharts or diagrams, and combinations of blocks inthe flowcharts or diagrams, can be implemented by special purposehardware-based computer systems which perform the specified functions orsteps, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computerinstructions.

The present invention could be written in a number of computer languagesincluding, but not limited to, C++, Basic, Visual Basic, Fortran, Cobol,Smalltalk, Java, and other conventional programming languages. It is tobe understood that various computers and/or processors may be used tocarry out the present invention without being limited to those describedherein. The present invention runs on standard computers such as IBM orIBM-compatible or Apple/Macintosh personal computers, utilizing suitableoperating systems. However, it should be understood that the presentinvention could be implemented using other computers and/or processors,including, but not limited to, mainframe computers and mini-computers.

Currently consumers of price sensitive or commodity-like retailgoods/services often drive to the outlet at which the commodity-likegoods/services are being sold in order to determine the current sellingprice of the particular item or service. Specifically, both private andcommercial consumers are interested in the price of commodity-likegoods/services such as vehicle fuels because the product's price isoften subject to rapid, volatile, and asynchronous fluctuations.Furthermore, operators of fleet and cargo transportation companies mustconstantly scrutinize the price of these fuels because of the impactthat vehicle fuel prices have on their cost structure. However, eventhough fuel prices affect a vast array of business and personaldecisions, there is presently no method or system for tracking prices inreal-time, reserving a price in advance for commodity-likegoods/services, such as vehicle fuels, and/or accessing competitorinformation relating to such commodity-like goods/services. Commercialand private consumers of these and similar goods/services often drive tothe outlet at which the commodity-like goods/services are sold todetermine the price, expending valuable time, effort, and resources. Itwould therefore be desirable to provide a method and system forcompiling prices of commodity-like goods/services in one centrallocation, such as a web site or other easily accessible location. Thepresent invention provides this ability, by allowing a user to determinethe current price of commodity-like goods/services among variouscompetitors. This creates a tremendous breakthrough from a buyer'sperspective. However, the invention builds on its foundation ofcentralized commodity-like goods/services price data and has increasedthe utility of its system to the user, by creating a method where aconsumer can receive a price guarantee on particular commodity-likegoods/services for a fixed amount of time. Commercial and privateconsumers of vehicle fuel as an example, would then be able to savetime, money and effort by simply accessing the interface of theinvention, such as a web site, comparing the prices of thecommodity-like goods/services among various retailers, and then printinga price guarantee for that item. Furthermore, by allowing a commercialconsumer to be able to “lock into” commodity-like goods/services at aspecific price, the business can take advantage of market conditions tomake a large purchase for its entire fleet. As a result, the inventioncan be an essential tool in the competitive fleet and transportationindustries which purchase hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel eachyear. By having the ability to instantly determine the most attractivevehicle fuel price among competing vehicle fuel retailers prior topurchasing, commercial entities can budget and reduce costs. Thus, theinvention can be/can become a valuable tool for accessing priceinformation of commodity-like goods/services, that is easy to use andwill save both private and commercial consumers time, effort and money.

As a further aspect of the invention, fleet operators have the abilityto plan a route in which fleet trucks will be able to get extended termfuel price guarantees to provide for the long distance that the truckswill be traveling. Therefore, as the truck goes from vehicle fuelretailer to retailer, the truck operator will have in advance,established a guaranteed price along the travel route.

It is also a distinct advantage of the present invention to provide theretailer with an enhanced ability to monitor its competition. Thisenhanced ability will allow the business owner to monitor price movementof a product or service over time, and trends relating to competitorsand consumer purchasing activities. Additionally, the business owner nowhas a tool to inform the consumer of its attributes, specials or otherinformation, which will facilitate drawing the consumer to theirfacility.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a diagram of a preferred embodiment of aninteractive commodity-like goods/services price reservation and datacollection/dissemination system and computer network is shown. Thesystem may be embodied in a computer network comprising an input/outputsystem 10 that allows consumers a simple and convenient method ofdetermining what the price of certain commodity-like goods/services in acertain user-defined area. Retailers of commodity-like goods/servicesare also able to input current price data and other advertising orservice information into the system as well as receive information onwhat price competitors are selling their goods/services. Thisinput/output system 10 may comprise any modality of communication, suchas a telephone 11, a computer 12, and a wireless type of communicationdevice 13 (e.g., a personal data assistant, in-vehicle communicationdevice or cell phone as merely examples), or combination of any ofthese. Further devices such as in-vehicle wireless communication devicesmay provide a communication link by which data can be entered and/orreceived from the system, including possibly location information. Thecomputer 12 and wireless communication device 13 may use a globalinformation network, such as the Internet, to present an interface tothe user, such as a web site having web pages 14 to allow the users toaccess the system. The web pages 14 provide information and access toinformation for the computer user, with the information stored oraccessed via a web server 16. The user of a wireless device has theirinformation transferred through a Wireless Application Protocol ServiceProvider 15 via the web server 16. The system may further include anetwork application server 17 which coordinates access to the StructuredQuery Logic (SQL) backup server 18 that accesses an SQL database 19. TheSQL backup server may be utilized to store and retrieve data in theevent that SQL server 20 goes offline. The network server 17 may alsocommunicate with a (SQL) server 20 which uses an (SQL) database 21 tostore and retrieve queried data. In the embodiment shown, web server 16and network application server 17 may coordinate information through aMicrosoft Transaction Server (MTS) 30. The network application server 17may communicate via an encrypt/decrypt connection 22 and through anInternet Server Applications Protocol Interface (ISAPI) 23, whichutilizes a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) security protocol in order tointerface with the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system 24, which mayinclude an IVR processor 24(a), an encrypt/decrypt connection 24(b) andan IVR database 24(c). The IVR system 24 may be supplied by an outsidevendor as shown in FIG. 1, or could be made part of the system ifdesired. The IVR capability allows interface with the system via anormal telephone connection or the like, wherein voice data isinterpreted and recognized via the IVR system 24. Thus, even a businessowner or consumer who does not own a computer may access and use thesystem and methods according to the invention to their advantage. As afurther aspect of the invention which could be provided by an outsidevendor, the system according to the invention desirably obtains locationspecific information for a consumer and/or business owner. Commercialmapping databases already exist, which could be easily accessed via thesystem according to the invention, or alternatively such informationcould be resident upon the system in the invention. As shown in FIG. 1,the web server 16 communicates through ISAPI 27 which uses HypertextTransfer Protocol (HTTP) 28 to communicate with the mapping process or29(a). The mapping process or 29(a) has the capability of accessingmapping database 29(b) in order to retrieve map data concerning aspecified location.

FIG. 2 refers to the interface with a user, such as a web site, and moreparticularly the welcome page 40 that will greet users of the invention.This graphical user interface provides several features to increase theuser's efficiency in finding commodity-like goods/services, such asvehicle fuels, in the user's target area. More specifically, the systemallows the owners of businesses offering commodity-like goods/servicesto communicate information about price or the like, as well as locationinformation to a consumer. In addition, this page provides a method inwhich the user can store information for future access so that a searchof relevant businesses may be stored and more easily accessed later.Welcome page 40 consists of menu bar 41 which spans horizontally acrossthe top of the web page. This menu bar 41 may comprise convenientoptions that allow the user to easily navigate and locate appropriateinformation, as well as manipulate information where needed. Thesebuttons may include home 42, retailers profile 43, motorist profile 44,customer service 45, public interest 46, tutorial 47, and site map 48links to further information or pages in the system. These options maybe active HTTP links that take the user of the site to the correspondingarea when the user places his mouse cursor over the hypertext option andclicks the left mouse button.

More specifically, the options in the menu bar 41 allow both retail andconsumer users to build user profiles, gain access to customer serviceinformation, access information concerning public interest, and completea tutorial of how to use the invention. The hypertext button entitled“Home” 42 allows the user to return to the welcome page 40 from any webpage that the user is currently viewing. Customer service option 45provides the user a wide variety of resources in the event a problemarises when using the system. This information will include items suchas the site mailing address, phone numbers to access both general andtechnical information, email addresses to access general and technicalinformation, a privacy statement, and a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)section with the most commonly asked questions regarding the use of thesystem. The public interest option 46 will provide Internet links tovarious web sites associated with travel and vehicle maintenance, suchas motel/hotel web sites, car enthusiast web sites, tourist informationor other information. The tutorial option 47 will contain informationand assistance on the protocol and procedures required in establishingregistration on the system, how to receive and print a price guaranteein addition to basic general tips for novice computer users. The sitemap option 48 will transfer the user to the site map web page 70 asshown in FIG. 3. Referring to FIG. 3, the site map page may comprise acomplete set of links that will allow an experienced user to directlyaccess a specific web page on the web site. Some specific links thatwill be included on the site map web page include customer service 71,contact information 72, forget password 73, public interest 75, motoristregistration 76, retailers registration 77, and tutorial 78.

Returning to FIG. 2, on the left side of the welcome web page 40 residesan area for registered users or those retailers/consumers that wish tobecome registered users. In this embodiment, a registered user maystore, retrieve, and/or update information in their user profiles. Aregistered user may access the system via a Username 49, and Password50. The username text box 49 and password textbox 50 allow the user ofthe system to enter their unique username and password into the website. After entering this data, the user then clicks their mouse cursoron the “GO” button 51 in order to gain access to their user profile,which is displayed on search results page 110 as shown in FIG. 6, thatcomprises the information contained in the user's profile. The userregistration area may also contain active hypertext transfer protocollinks entitled “Forget Password?” 52 and “Register Here” 53. Uponclicking on the “Forget Password?” link 52 the registered user istransferred to a web page as shown in FIG. 4. This page allows the userthat has forgotten their unique password to be prompted with a short keyphrase that the user has specified in his user profile as a clue inremembering the user's password. In order to do this, the user mustenter their user name in the username text box 90, and then click the“Submit” button 91 with his computer mouse. The user will then beprompted with his key phase 92 that the user has previously defined inhis user profile. The user is then required to enter the answer to thekey phrase in the “key phrase value” text box 93 and then click the“KeyPhrase” button 94. After completing these steps successfully, theuser's password will be displayed. The “Register Here” link 53 transfersthe web site user to a user registration web site called “motoristprofile” 85 where the user will be given a unique user identificationand password and asked to enter other specified information.Unregistered users who attempt to access a feature reserved exclusivelyfor registered users will be transferred to a web page as shown in FIG.5. This web page gives the user two options; registered users must usetheir computer mouse and clicking the link “here” 100 and be transferredto a web page where they can log into the system to access featuresreserved for registered users. Unregistered users are given thehypertext link “here” 101 to be transferred to a web page to initiatethe registration process.

Returning to FIG. 2, located in the center of the welcome web page 40,are text boxes that include address 54, city 55, state 56, zip code 57,intersection 58(a) and 58(b), radius 59, and a “go” button 60. Thesetext boxes allow any user of the system to enter their correspondinginformation and search for locations of vehicle fuel stations or othercommodity-like goods/services retailers that meet these criteria. Afterentering the search criteria, the user clicks on the “go” button 60 toinitiate the search. Upon completion of the search, the user is taken toa search results page 110, as shown in FIG. 6, that comprises theinformation found in relation to the user's search.

FIG. 6 refers to a search results web page 110. The search results page110 contains a tremendous wealth of information of interest to bothconsumers and retailers, particularly in times where prices are subjectto rapid, volatile, and asynchronous fluctuations. Keeping ease of usein mind, the menu bar 41 is conveniently placed horizontally at the topof the web page as well as all of the web pages in the web site.Furthermore, the search results page 110 consists of a web site path 111that shows the user the path of web sites that he has come through inarriving at the currently viewed web page. Just below the site path 111,is a search term area 112, which indicates what criteria were used inorder to complete the search on the web site. A graphical map window 113is located in the center of the search results page 110. This map 113provides a visual depiction of where the vehicle fuel stations that metthe user's search criteria are located. Alternatively, or in addition,written or spoken directions may be provided to any desired location. Inaddition, the map window 113 provides selection arrows 114(a), 114(b),114(c), and 114(d) in which the map may be moved in the North, South,East, and West directions to further locate vehicle fuel stations or thelike, that are not readily viewable in the map window 113. Below the mapwindow 113, there may be provided zoom buttons 115(a) and 115(b), thatallow the user to zoom in 115(a) on a specified area contained in themap window or to zoom out 115(1 b) from an area delimited by the mapwindow 113. After a search has been completed, information pertaining tobrand name 116, miles 117, grade 118 or other desired informationelating to various retailers are shown in chart or other suitable format the bottom of the search results page 110. The brand name 116 is asection that contains hypertext links that will transfer the consumer tothe retailer's web page (FIG. 7). The retailer page may contain otherhelpful information that will facilitate determining what promotions,and services that the retailer is offering. The miles section 117 refersto the distance between the user's searched location and that of theretail outlet. The grade section 118 lists the price per gallon of aspecific type or grade of vehicle fuel. This allows the user to easilycompare and select the retailer that has the most attractive price whilesimultaneously determining how far from the consumer the retailer is.Finally, a consumer may also choose to add a particular retailer totheir user profile by clicking his mouse cursor on the “+” symbol 119located in the “Add to Profile” column. This feature of the site isbeneficial in that a registered consumer does not have to complete a newsearch to retrieve the same retailer's information when the consumerwants to locate the retailer on a subsequent visit to the web site.

FIG. 7 refers a specific retailer page 139 that is accessed when aconsumer selects and clicks on a particular brand name hypertext link116. This page contains brand information 71 and the corresponding gradeprice for each specific grade of fuel or the like at 72. The customeralso has the option of clicking on the “Refresh Prices” hypertext link131 to update the prices that are presently being viewed on the web pageto reflect the most up to date prices that have been specified by theretailer. After viewing the retailer's web page, the consumer can addthe retailer into their personal profile by clicking on the “Add toProfile” hypertext link 132.

Another feature of the system and methods herein relates to the abilityof being able to provide a price guarantee for specific commodity-likegoods/services, where price is sensitive and volatile, such as with thepurchase of fuel according to this embodiment. Thus, when a consumerusing the invention finds a particular brand, grade, and price ofvehicle fuel that they wish to purchase, the consumer will get aguarantee on that price for a specific period of time set by theretailer. The consumer may receive the price guarantee by selecting the“Print Guarantee” hypertext option 133 with his mouse, or other suitablemethods. By selecting “Print Guarantee” 133 the consumer is transferredto the price guarantee web page to be described hereafter. The pageshown in FIG. 7 may also be provided with a section entitled “Features”134 that details any special services that the retailer may have tooffer a consumer such as an ATM, Car Wash, Oil Change, Credit Cards,etc. Located in the center of the web page is the retailer's “Address”135 that includes items such as outlet address, phone number, emailaddress, and world wide web address if available. Just below theretailer's address 135, is a “Special Messages” section 136 that givesinformation concerning promotions and items for sale by the retailer.This “Special Messages” section 136 could allow the consumer to click onthe promotional hypertext bulletin and print out a money saving couponfor an item or service.

Other features that could be offered to a consumer as a further aspectof the invention, such as the ability to schedule automotive services onthe retailers page on the web site. A consumer that is interested in aparticular service could click his mouse on the applicable service ineither the “Features” section 134 or “Special Messages” section 136 andbe transferred to a service scheduling web page. This scheduling webpage may contain the openings for when the consumer could bring his carin for service (i.e., tune-up, oil change, etc.). Upon selecting aconvenient time, the consumer would enter their personal informationinto the scheduling web page to complete the reservation for thoseservices.

Turning to FIG. 8, the price guarantee 150 in this embodiment containsspecific information about the retailer from which the consumer hasselected to purchase vehicle fuel or other commodity-like goods/servicesor the like. The form of the guarantee may be of any suitable type, andthat shown in this Fig. is merely an example. In the upper left cornerthe retailer's name 151, address 152, and phone number 153 areindicated. The grades of vehicle fuel 155 and corresponding prices pergallon 156 are shown as they occurred in the market when the consumerreceived the price guarantee. The price guarantee also indicates thedate and time 157 in which the consumer printed the price guarantee 150.The price guarantee 150 also states when the guarantee will expire 158.If desired, the retailer could also place other limits or conditions onthe guarantee, such as with respect to the volume of vehicle fuel whichcan be purchased at the guaranteed price as an example

Other methods of providing the price guarantee are also contemplated,such as through the use of barcode scanning technology. After theconsumer has selected the particular brand and type of vehicle fuel,they will be given the opportunity to print a barcode that will containthe consumer's unique user ID, the location of the retail outlet, thetime at which the consumer selected the vehicle fuel, and the guaranteedprice itself. The consumer would then take this printed bar code to abar code scanner that is placed on the retailer's vehicle fuel pump. Thebar code would then charge the consumer's credit card with theapplicable guaranteed price. This would drastically decrease the timethat it would take to have a printed price guarantee verified by aretail associate. Furthermore, the bar code scanning technology wouldincrease the traffic at the pump, which is at a premium when vehiclefuel prices are at higher than typical prices and the retailer has anattractive price. Finally, this technology provides speed and efficiencythat many consumers demand because people do not enjoy waiting in linesto pay for basic, essential commodity-like goods/services. Othersuitable methods are also contemplated, such as through the use of smartcards, flash memory cards or other suitable interfaces.

Turning to FIG. 9, the “Motorist Profile” web page 160 is shown. Thispage is accessed through the motorist profile hypertext button 44 or“Register Here” hypertext link 53. The consumer is then prompted toenter basic user information 161 into the following text boxes that mayinclude for example: first name 162, last name 163, consumer's streetaddress 164, street address #2 165, city 166, state 167, zip code 168,phone number 169, email address 170. Next, the user is prompted to enterlogin information 170, which may comprise username 172, password 173,and verify password 174 text boxes. These pieces of information areunique to the user and provide a means to keep the consumer's userprofile private. The next section is the key phrase information section175. This information is collected to assist a person that has forgottentheir password. The key phrase information section 175 contains the KeyPhrase text window 176 and Key Phrase Value window 177. The consumer isprompted to enter a key phrase that will trigger the consumer's memoryinto remembering his correct key phrase value 177. Upon entering thisvalue, the consumer will be given his password, so that they may accesstheir user profile. The next element of the motorist profile 160 is thelist of stored outlets 178 which contains a listing of retail outletsthat the consumer has chosen to keep in their user profile. Theinformation stored on retail outlets may be comprised of the outlet'saddress 179, brand name 180, and types of vehicle fuel and correspondingprice 182 of the competing retailers. The consumer can also choose toremove a specific retailer from his stored outlets section by using hismouse and clicking on the “Remove” button 183. The consumer can alsochoose how he wishes to sort the stored outlets list 178 by choosing anoption in the sorting preference selection box 184. The motorist profileweb page 160 also allows the consumer to use the IVR listeningpreference box 185, to select what brand and grade of vehicle fuel thatthe consumer wishes to get information on over the IVR telephone system.Once the user has selected or updated the information on the motoristprofile 160, the user selects and click the submit button 186.

In FIG. 10, there is shown a flow chart that describes the steps inwhich a consumer that has registered with system uses the IVR system.The IVR system allows a consumer to use their phone, such as by use ofthe touch tone phone keypad as an input device, as a means to answerpre-defined questions posed by the system. This system affordsregistered consumers the ability to use a standard telephone toascertain the price of a particular brand and grade of vehicle fuel orother commodity-like goods/services which the consumer has previouslyselected by using the IVR Listening Preference drop box 185 via themotorist profile web page 160. To access the IVR system, the consumermust dial a telephone number 190 that is determined by the system. Uponaccessing the system, the consumer is required to enter their uniqueuser identification and password 191. The IVR system then determineswhat type of user that the caller is at 192. This is done by eitherasking the caller to identify themselves as either a consumer or aretailer or by using the user's ID. After the caller is determined to bea customer 194, the IVR system may be used to retrieve the specificbrand, type, and price of vehicle fuel 195 that the consumer hasselected in their IVR listening preference drop box 185 which resides onthe system data store 200. Finally, after the price information isretrieved, it is replayed over the phone to the customer in the form ofan automated voice 196 or other suitable method.

Alternatively, the consumer IVR user could be given a unique numericalcode that could be used to identify the consumer, verify the outletwhere the consumer wants the price guarantee, and the time at which theconsumer received the price guarantee. Now the consumer can proceed tothe retail store, where many vehicle fuel pumps have numeric touch padsat the pump (point of purchase), and input this code and receive thevehicle fuel at the guaranteed price which in turn is charged to theconsumer's credit card. This process may again accelerate thetransaction process at the pumps and allows greater turnover orthroughput for each pump. Other commodity-like goods/services could alsobe purchased or arranged in a suitable fashion to that described withreference to vehicle fuel. The capabilities offered by the system to theretailer are also made available through the telephone via an IVR systemas shown in FIG. 10, and detailed later in this document.

FIG. 11 refers to the retailer profile web page 205. This page isprovided in order to allow retailers to register as subscribers to thesystem. The retailer profile page 205 consists of basic user information206 that is to be entered by the retailer. This information may includethe following as an example: first name 207, last name 208, retailoutlet name 209, vehicle fuel name 210, brand name 211, street address212, street address #2 213, city 214, state 215, zip code 216, phonenumber 217, fax number 218, and email address 219. The retailer isfurther prompted to choose whether to display their email address 220,and/or prompted to enter his web site address 221, and their retailoutlet/company motto 222. Next, the user may be prompted to enter hislogin information 223, comprising username 224 and clerk's username 225.These pieces of information provide security for the retailer so thatonly authorized personnel are able to update or change information thatis contained in the retailer's profile. The retailer is also required toenter key phrase information so that if the retailer or retailer's clerkforgets their password, can be recalled it after giving an answer to auser determined question. Thus, the retailer must enter their key phrase227, such as a short question that only the retailer should know theanswer to. The key phrase value 228 is the answer to the key phrase 227.A key phrase is also provided for the retail clerk so that they canaccess the retailer's user profile so that they can update the contentof the retailer's web page if the retailer desires such access. Theclerk's key phrase data is entered in the clerk's key phrase text box229 and the answer to the key phrase is made in the clerk's key phrasevalue text box 230.

FIG. 12 is a continuation of the retailer profile web page 205 thatcontains a section called “Billing Info” 231 which must be completedbefore a retailer can be registered with the inventive service. Thissection requires the retailer to select the type of method in which theretailer will pay the site for the services provided. This is done byclicking with left mouse button one of two options; either credit card232, or electronic funds transfer 241. If the retailer selects creditcard billing 232, the retailer is prompted to select from a drop boxentitled “credit card type” 233 the type of credit card that theretailer is going to use as payment. The retailer is also prompted toenter the credit card number 234, the card's expiration date 235, andthe name on the credit card 236. The user is also prompted to specifywhich address the billing information should be sent. This task iscompleted by clicking the mouse on either the “above address” option 237or on “new address” option 238. If the “new address” option 238 isselected, then the retailer is required to input the new billing address239 and the new billing zip code 240. However, if the retailer selectselectronic fund transfer 241, then the retailer must input the bankrouting number 242, bank account number 243, bank name 244, name on thebank account 245, and customer security code 246.

The next section of the retailer profile web page 205 is called retailoutlet information 247. This section allows the retailer to enterinformation about goods/services that it provides, which the retailerwants posted on its site web page 139 to be viewed by consumers.Further, this section provides boxes in which the retailer can identifythe amenities and services that the retailer offers to the consumer.These items may include an ATM 249, car wash 250, auto repair 251,restaurant 252, bathrooms 253, etc. This information will be shown onthe retailers web page if the retailer clicks the corresponding checkbox. The retailer also has the opportunity to place advertisements 256on their web page by entering a title 257 and a message 258 in theretailer advertisements section 256 of the retailer profile web page205. This feature of the service allows competitors to be highlyresponsive to another competitor's business decisions. The retailer isalso given the opportunity to post special messages 259 to its customersregarding specials or limited offers by entering a title for the message260, and entering a message 261. FIG. 13 is a continuation of the retailoutlet information section that is contained in the retailer profile webpage 205. The next section of retail outlet information pertains to thecommodity-like goods/services that are being sold by the retailer andprice guarantee information. This section allows the retailer to enterthe number of hours or other time increment that the consumer has toredeem a price guarantee starting from the time the price guarantee isissued until the price guarantee expires. This is done by entering thelength of time that the retailer wants to make the guarantee valid inthe price guarantee box 262. Next, the retailer is prompted to selectwhat type or grade of vehicle fuel 265 that a price will be provided foron the web site by clicking on the corresponding “selection” box 264.After selecting a type of good/service, such as vehicle fuel, theretailer must enter the corresponding price 266 for the particularcommodity-like goods/services.

The method and system according to the invention also provides a uniqueopportunity for retailers to access real-time data relating to sellingof commodity-like goods/services and particularly which may relate todata of competitors. The invention provides registered retailers a meansof collecting and sorting current real-time data as well as thecapability to access historical trend data of competitors. The systemalso collects raw price and purchasing data and can be used to producecustom marketing trend reports for retailers. This data may includeinformation such as the brand name of goods, grades of goods/services,the location of goods, and the timing and frequency in which a consumerhas purchased the goods/services. Traditionally, retailers mustphysically obtain the price data first hand or pay various third partiesto gather the data, which is not often comprehensive in scope.Therefore, the system and methods are a tremendous asset to any businessthat participates in the competitive commodity-like goods/servicesmarket or in other business environments. The retailer profile web page205 also allows the retailer to store and track a list of competitors.By selecting which competitors the retailer wishes to track, theretailer can view the competitors' prices for each grade or type ofvehicle fuel 271, the distance that a competitor is from the retailer270, the name brand of the competitor 269, and the address of thecompetitor 268, or other information. However, if a retailer is nolonger interested in tracking a competitor then the retailer may removethe corresponding competitor by selecting the remove button 272. Thisremove button 272 could bring up a further web page to finalize theremoval of a competitor or it could instantaneously remove thecompetitor's listing that is correspondingly adjacent to a particularremove button 272. Once a retailer has selected all of the competitorsthat it wishes to track, they may sort them according to variouscriteria such as price, competitor name, and distance from retailer byselecting a criteria using the sorting preference drop box 273. Theretailer is also given the option of which types of vehicle fuel that itwishes to hear on the IVR telephone system by choosing an option in theIVR listening preference drop box 274. Once the retailer has entered allapplicable information into the retailer profile 205, the “Submit”button 275 will forward the information to the web site and store theinformation for subsequent access.

The information compiled by the site relating to information on possiblecompetitors and demographic information relating to customers may alsobe analyzed using appropriate software products. This information canthen be presented in a useful fashion on an updated basis, such asreports, graphs or other forms to allow the user to use the data intheir business planning. In this manner, the retailer can obtaininformation on their consumers and competitors, as well as trends orother market factors that will facilitate business operations. Thecapabilities offered by the system to the retailer are also madeavailable through the telephone via an IVR as shown in FIG. 10. In orderfor a registered retailer to access the IVR system, they must dial apredetermined access number 190. The retailer is then prompted for hisuser ID and password 191. Next, the IVR system determines whether theuser is a retailer or a consumer 192. After ascertaining that the IVRuser is a retailer 193, the IVR system retrieves all of the types andprices of vehicle fuel that the retailer specified in the IVR listeningpreference drop box 274 on the retailer profile web page 205. This datais accessed from the IVR data store 197 and the system data store 200,which utilizes corresponding database update tools 198 and 199. Once theretailer's IVR preferences are retrieved, the corresponding types andprices of vehicle fuel are transmitted over the phone line by using anautomated voice 201. If the retailer chooses, they may change or edittheir web page, such as the prices of the types of vehicle fuel theysell, by using the telephone touch pad to enter the new priceinformation. This new, updated information is automatically updated onthe retailer's web page 139.

FIG. 14 refers to the “Clerk Profile” web page 281. This web pagerequires that the clerk enter the following information as an example:clerk's first name 282, last name 283, retail outlet name 284, vehiclefuel name 285, brand name 286, retailer's street address 287, streetaddress #2 288, city 289, state 290, zip code 291, phone number 292, faxnumber 293, and email address 294. Next, the clerk is asked to click a“yes” or “no” button 295 with his mouse to determine whether the clerkwishes to display his email address on their web page 139. In addition,the clerk is prompted to enter his web site address 296, and retailoutlet/company motto 297. The next section of the clerk profile web pageis called “login information” 298 which consists of the clerk's username 299, clerk's password 300, and a second text window called verifyclerk's password 301. This information is required to establish andmaintain security on the retailer's web page 139 so that an unauthorizeduser cannot access the retailer's web page and make unwanted changes. Inthe event that a retail clerk has forgotten their password, the clerkcan answer a predetermined question that is established by the retailclerk which the clerk enters into the text window entitled clerk's keyphrase 303. The clerk must then enter the corresponding answer or keyphrase value 304.

FIG. 15 is a continuation to the clerk's profile web page 281. In thetext box entitled price guarantee 306, the retailer may enter how longhe wishes the price guarantee to be in effect. The retailer can alsoselect which types of vehicle fuel he wants displayed on the system. Theretail does this by using his mouse button and clicking a specific checkbox 308 in the column entitled “select” that is adjacent to thecorresponding type of vehicle fuel 309. In addition, the retailer maychange or update the prices of commodity-like goods/services; or as inthe embodiment shown, the price of vehicle fuels. These prices will beautomatically updated on the retailer's web page 139. A final section ofthe clerk profile web page 281 called “stored outlets” 311 contains theaddress 312, the brand name 313, the miles the competitor is from theretailer in the “miles” column 314, and the corresponding price for eachtype of vehicle fuel 315 sold by each competing retailer that the clerkhas chosen to add to his clerk profile 281. In addition, the clerk cansort the chart of competitors by various criteria that are listed in thesorting preference drop box 316. The clerk may also update or change thetypes of vehicle fuel that are posted on the IVR telephone system bychoosing the appropriate option in the IVR listening preference drop box317. After all changes or updates have been made to the clerk profile281, the clerk must then use his computer mouse and click a buttonentitled “submit” 318 so that the changes can take effect to theretailer's web page 139.

An alternate embodiment of the present invention may be implementedusing a combination of a user locating system, such as the GlobalPositioning System (GPS), cell phone locating or other suitable method,and mobile web browsing electronics as shown in FIG. 16. In thisembodiment, a consumer that is navigating their vehicle can determinethe location of vehicle fuel stations, service stations, conveniencestores, hotel, restaurants, auto supply stores or other desiredlocations that are in proximity to the user. Specifically, the consumerwill have a locating system, such as GPS navigation receiver 326on-board the vehicle that will ascertain the consumer's locationcoordinates from GPS satellites 327. The system may then use a wirelessmethod of transmission to access the system or other network 328 andupload the user's GPS location coordinates. The system may then transmitthe consumer's positional data via the Internet to a mapping service329, which has access to a system database 330 that contains thelocations of various vehicle fuel stations, hotels, restaurants or otherdesired locations. The mapping service queries the system database 330for the specific entity being searched and then places the locationsthat meet the consumer's requirements (such as distance) on auser-friendly electronic map. This map information is then transferredback to the system at 332 in HTTP form where it is then transmittedthrough a wireless application service provider to the customer'sin-vehicle wireless device for display 331.

Furthermore, the system and methods of the invention can be easilyapplied and adapted to a host of other business models such as thehotel, restaurant, and medical industries. The retail consumer's abilityto search, find, and locate various commercial entities which are in aclose proximity to the consumer is of a very high utility. As wirelesscommunication advances, the system of the present invention can be usedby consumers and retailers or other entities to facilitate locating,selecting and purchasing goods/services.

Although the principles, particular embodiments and operation of thepresent invention have been described in detail, the foregoing shouldnot be construed as being limited to the particular illustrative formsof the invention as disclosed. It will become apparent to those skilledin the art that various modifications of the embodiment shown herein canbe made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention asdefined in the following claims.

1. A method for generating a database relating to goods/services soldvia retail outlets, comprising the steps of: a) prompting a retailer toinput its own information related to its own retail outlet selected fromthe group consisting of vehicle fuel outlets, vehicle servicing outlets,convenience food stores and combinations thereof, b) storing said inputinformation from the retailer, wherein said database includesinformation, relating to individual retailers within said plurality ofretailers, selected from the group consisting of location of retailoutlet, brand information, real-time price information, goods sold,services offered, special promotions on goods/services, retailerguarantees for current prices on goods/services or combinations thereofin a computer readable storage medium, said real-time price informationbeing restricted to current price information input by said retailer. 2.The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of allowing a user topre-determine from said database a subset of outlets within ageographical region, which subset is displayed to the user upon entry ofuser-identifying information.
 3. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising the step of allowing a user to pre-determine from saiddatabase a subset of competitor outlets within a geographical region,which subset is displayed to the retailer upon entry of user-identifyinginformation.
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the source ofsaid input information is a retailer of vehicle fuel goods/services. 5.The method according to claim 1, wherein said input information isdirectly downloaded by a retailer into an electronic database.
 6. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein said information is input to saidcomputer readable storage medium through a global information system. 7.The method according to claim 1, wherein said information issubstantially real time information relating to vehicle fuelgoods/services supplied by said retailer.
 8. The method according toclaim 1, wherein said information is real time price informationrelating to vehicle fuel goods/services.
 9. A method of providing aguaranteed price from a retailer in the sale of goods/services,comprising the steps of: a) providing predetermined information to aconsumer relating to at least the real-time price of goods/servicespresently being offered by a predetermined retailer, b) providing tosaid consumer a predetermined price guarantee from the predeterminedretailer, related to at least the real-time price of goods/services,which is authenticated by the retailer at a predetermined retaillocation, and c) the retailer honoring the predetermined price guaranteeupon purchase of the goods/services at the predetermined retaillocations.
 10. A method for acquiring and disseminating informationrelating to vehicle fuels, the method comprising the steps of: promptinga retailer to input information related to current vehicle fuel prices;restricting the retailer to inputting vehicle fuel price informationrelating to only the retailer's vehicle fuel prices; storing the currentvehicle fuel price information inputted by a plurality of retailers in acommon database; prompting a consumer to input search criteria; anddisplaying at least current retailer vehicle fuel price information andretailer geographic information in response to the consumer searchcriteria.
 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step ofprompting a retailer includes prompting the retailer to inputinformation relating to a guaranteed vehicle fuel price, the guaranteebeing provided by the retailer, and the step of displaying includesdisplaying information relating to the price guarantees.
 12. The methodaccording to claim 11, wherein the price guarantees are offered for alimited time.